19 September 2025 - Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations (IFs) on the field of play will be able to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games under the exact same conditions as for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. During its meeting in Milan, the IOC Executive Board (EB) considered the experience of the Olympic Games in Paris, during which 32 athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport from 10 different sports took part, without any incident on or off the field of play.
Strict eligibility conditions based on the recommendations issued by the IOC EB on 28 March 2023 for IFs and international sports event organisers will be applied for the AINs, who are athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport. Like all the other athletes at the Olympic Games, the AINs will also have to comply with the rules and regulations applicable at the Olympic Games, including on anti-doping. They will also have to sign the Conditions of Participation applicable to all athletes participating in the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. This contains a commitment to respect the Olympic Charter, including “the peace mission of the Olympic Movement”.
The AINs will be invited by the IOC in accordance with the following eligibility conditions for AINs at Milano Cortina 2026, namely:
Qualified athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will be entered and compete as AINs.
Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will not be considered.
Athletes who actively support the war will not be eligible to be entered or compete. Support personnel who actively support the war will not be entered.
Athletes who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be eligible to be entered or to compete. Support personnel who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be entered.
Any such AIN, like all the other participating athletes, will have to meet all anti-doping requirements applicable to them in the lead-up to and at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and particularly those set out in the IFs’ anti-doping rules.
The practical application of today’s IOC EB decision can be found in the “Principles Relating to the Implementation of the Participation for Individual Neutral Athletes and their Support Personnel with a Russian or Belarusian Passport at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games”, which is a separate document and can be found here.
As was the case for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games:
- An Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) will be established to evaluate the eligibility of each athlete who obtains, or who could obtain, a qualification place for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and that of their support personnel.
The Panel will be composed of three members:
- Ms Nicole Hoevertsz, IOC Member, Chair of the Panel
- Mr Pau Gasol, IOC Ethics Commission and Athlete representative
- Morinari Watanabe, International Sports Federation representative
The work of the AINERP will be supported by the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, who will act as the Secretary of the AINERP.
- The AINERP and the IOC administration have been delegated the authority to invite an Individual Neutral Athlete, and their support personnel, to participate in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Once the athletes’ invitations have been sent, the IOC will publish the list of the AINs who have been invited to participate.
The AINERP will monitor the conduct of, and respect for the Principles of Participation by, all AINs and support personnel who are deemed eligible and who participate in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, including on their return after the Games.
The AINERP will bring any matter to the IOC Disciplinary Commission for any measures or sanctions to be applied should the conduct of any AIN or their support personnel be considered contrary to the Olympic Charter, the Milano Cortina 2026 Conditions of Participation or the Principles of Participation.
The following protocol elements with regard to the participation of AINs in Milano Cortina will continue to apply:
This is the flag of the AINs and this is the anthem. The anthem has no lyrics and was produced solely for this purpose. Both were already used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. During the victory ceremonies, the AIN flag will be flown and the AIN anthem will be played.
Medals won by the AINs will not appear in the NOC medal table.
AINs will not participate in the parade of delegations (teams) during the Opening Ceremony, since they are individual athletes. But an opportunity will be provided for them to experience the event.
The decision regarding the participation of AINs in the Closing Ceremony will be taken during the Games, taking into consideration that it is not teams that take part in the Closing Ceremony, but all the athletes jointly together.
